Comments on: Other little sporting event on

By: Andos

Andos — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:32:36 +0000

I’m a tad worried about our attack now; 10 and 11 batting out 12 overs to save a match ain’t good enough.

By: Baraholka

Baraholka — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:06:34 +0000

I enjoy Roebuck.

Only exception was his coverage of the infamous Harbhajahn Indian Tour here (was it 2006) where he was hopelessly off-beam on Australia’s celebrations after the second test win and treated Kumble as a protected species despite Kumble’s extended sook, general bad sportsmanship and unfouned complaints of cheating

Saw a bit of Day 1.
Siddle again was excellent. Shook up batsmen on a docile pitch. Lacked consistent accuracy, but overall v. good. Johnson was unlucky not to get a hat-trick in the over he got Strauss. he has Strauss LBW, then Bopara lucky to sppon one over mid-off then got Strauss with the bouncer. Loved Michael Clarke ginning wildly even as thw ball was still coming to him. Loved Hilfy’s swing and accuracy.

Bopara was dead lucky to make 2 let alone his 30-odd.
Flat track (and flat attack) bully I reckon.

Predication: Bopara to be Siddle’s bunny.
Prediction #2: Many wickets for Hilfy later in more helpful swinging conditions.

Didn’t see anything after lunch.

Oo-roo!

By: jo

jo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:03:56 +0000

Sort of Robert. Here is Bernard Keane in Crikey last week on the anti-siphoning laws. The laws were supported by both Labor and the Coalition.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/02/use-it-or-lose-it-why-is-free-to-air-tv-still-hogging-sports-coverage/

Personally, I’m heaps glad Rupert didn’t get his hands on all the silverware like he did in the UK and other countries. Bernard sheds tears for sports administrators and Foxtel, but has little time for the likes of the general public who would have been forced to take up Foxtel esp. back then, purely to watch the AFL and NRL, let alone the Grand Finals and Origin of the Species series, the Ashes, Olympics etc. Buying marquee sports is just about the only way to get consumers to take up pay-tv in the first place.

There are economic questions, but there are also questions of access for millions of people who cannot afford pay-TV. However, now that there is multi-channel free to air digital TV and online streaming and whatever % of the pop. who do have pay-TV etc – the whole thing needs a re-think, and according to Keane, Conroy already has the report on his desk etc…

Anyways, I would hate to see a bunch of key national & international sporting events and also regular home & away AFL & NRL matches for eg. no longer available on free-to-air. Like having adverts on the ABC, it’s just not cricket!

By: Robert Merkel

Robert Merkel — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:29:42 +0000

From what I recall, it came down to the power of Kerry Packer back in the 1990s, who threatened the government with all manner of retribution if the pay tv networks were able to nick the cricket off him.

By: sg

sg — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:19:08 +0000

Robert: clearly there is a practical cause. But what is the reason?

By: Razor

Razor — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:30:32 +0000

I’m back on the right thread now.

Is it warm enough for streakers in Cardiff?

By: kymbos

kymbos — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:43:07 +0000

it’s just not cricket.

By: Razor

Razor — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:02:00 +0000

Sorry – the TDF one had dropped of the list and I needed to vent.

By: Brett

Brett — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:41:23 +0000

I protest the intrusion of bicycles into a thread supposedly reserved for cricket tragics.

By: Razor

Razor — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:59:51 +0000

I don’t think he is tied to them in an intractible way – their contracts are often seasonally based. I believe he owed xxxx-Lotto for intially giving him a break – but they have been well rewarded for that. The Team is Belgian and has been in a three way struggle to build it’s list – support the Belgian passion for the One Day Classics, suppport McEwen, and supporting Cadel. Well they have been trying to do all those not very well. McEwen has gone openig up budget but they botched the Kohl recruitment and were too late to pick up anybody else.

Enough!

I’m hoping Matt Loyd can really shine in the mountains. Now that Cadel isn’t in the hunt for GC, maybe Matt can be let off the rein and have a crack.

Alle!